Fog light convertor for headlights



Sept. 15, 1959 c. M. FISCHER FOG LIGHT CONVERTOR FOR HEADLIGHTS FiledApril 10, 1956 INVENTOR CARI. M. FISCHER ATTORNEY I United States Patenti 2,904,672 FOG LIGHT CONVERTOR FOR HEADLIGHTS Carl M. Fischer, SeatPleasant, Md., assignor of one-half to Albert C. Migeot, Colmar Manor,Md.

Application April 10, 1956, Serial No. 577,279 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-4615)This invention relates to a device converting the headlights ofautomobiles into fog lights, and it particularly relates to such adevice for use in sealed beam headlights.

The ordinary type of sealed beam headlight used today comprises a deviceproviding a white-light beam. This white light, however, has low effectin fog and smog. Therefore, when a person wishes to increase theefflciency of his headlights in fog, it is necessary for him to eitherobtain special types of'anti-fog lights or to laboriously place specialadaptors over the headlights each time it is necessary to drive throughfog.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide ananti-fog apparatus on conventional sealed beam headlights which can bemade operative or inoperative by a mere touch of the handwithin theautomobile.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device forconverting conventional headlights to fog lights without any laborioustemporary attaching and detaching of adaptors or the like.

I Another object of the present invention is to provide a device forconverting conventional headlights for fog lights wherein the headlightsnormally provide as good white-light beams as other headlights but whichcan, almost instantaneously, be converted to fog lights by this device.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved foglight converting device, of the character described, that is easily andeconomically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which ishighly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combination of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of adevice embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the complete mechanism embodying the presentinvention, this mechanism being illustrated as connected to bothheadlights of an automobile, and shown in combination with the actuatingmeans therefor.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the fluid dispensing means used in theapparatus of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front view of a mechanism similar to Fig. 2 but showing afluid dispensing means individually provided for each headlight.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, there is shown a sealed beamheadlight 10 comprising a housing 12, lens 14 and electrical plug 16.The housing 12 and lens 14 are each provided with correspondingperipheral flanges, as at 18 and 20, and are connected to each other bya bonding agent or other means at the area of these flanges.

The above structure is all generally conventional.

ice

However, the present invention consists in providing a clear film orsheet 22 over the face of the lens 14. This film or sheet is preferablymade of one of the various plastic materials, but may also be made ofglass. It is positioned in such a manner that it is spaced from the lens14 a distance of about .015 inch at its periphery and at its center itis spaced about .008 inch from the lens. This spacing of the sheet 22from the lens 14 not only provides a chamber or pocket 24 therebetweenbut the variation of the thickness of this chamber as between the centerand the periphery permits a modification and slight refraction of thelight rays emanating from the headlight, thus providing a concavo-convexor diverging meniscus lens of colored fluid.

The sheet 22 is connected to the headlight by means of a peripheralflange 26 on the sheet, which is similar in size and shape to the flange20 and abuts in face-to-face relationship against the flange 20 of thelens, and which is held against the flange 20 by means of theconventional rim 28 which holds it in tightly sealed position.

At the lower end of the chamber 24 there is provided an inlet 30 fromwhich extends a tube 32. The tube 32 extends into a sealed flexibleplastic container 34 through a sealing cap 36. In this container 34 isprovided a quantity of liquid colored yellow or amber. This liquid maytake various forms; however, it should preferably either be itself or,at least contain therein an antifreeze such as ethylene, glycol, oralcohol. This is to prevent freezing of the liquid with its consequentexpansion and cracking of the lens.

At the upper end of the chamber 24 is provided an outlet 38 from whichextends a tube 40. The other end of the tube 40 is connected to theunderside of a sealed flexible expansion overflow reservoir 42 whichmay, if desired, he transparent or translucent and mounted on theinstrument board of the vehicle to also act as telltale or indicator.

In operation, the film or sheet 22, being completely transparent,ordinarily permits the white light rays to travel therethrough. However,when it is desired to convert it to a fog light, the liquid is pumpedfrom the container 34 into the chamber 24. The liquid is per-' mitted toflow until it fills the chamber and flows out the top into the reservoir42. When it appears within the reservoir, the operator knows that thechamber is entirely full.

Although any pump means may be used to deliver the container isreleased, the liquid will 'all flow back thereinto. Of course, it isnecessary to maintain the proper sealing of the fluid system in order tokeep it substantially air tight.

The same source of liquid may be used for both headlights or it may, ifdesired, be'so arranged that each head light is served by a separatesource of supply. In Fig. .2

is provided a mechanism using a single source wherein the two headlights44 and 46, each constructed with a chamber forming film, as shown inFig. l. The two headlights 44 and 46 are provided with supply tubes, asat 48 and 50, which are both connected to a manifold 52. The manifold 52leads into resilient container 54 held on a support 56 by means of anupright post 5'7 having a clamp 58. Tubes 60 and 62 lead from the upperportions of headlights 44 and 46 respectively, and are connected to amanifold 64. The manifold 64 is, in turn, connected to an overflowreservoir 66, which,

if desired, may be transparent or translucent and be mounted on thevehicle instrument board, not shown to act as a telltale or indicator.

In order to pump the liquid into the headlight chambers, there isprovided a lever 68 pivoted to the support 56 by a hinge element 70. Anupstanding bracket 72 is positioned on the support 56, and from anoverhanging ifl'ange portion 74 of the upper end of the bracket 72extends a coil spring 76. The other end of the spring 76 is connected tothe center of the lever 68, as at 78. At the opposite surface of thelever 63, at the center thereof, is connected one end of a cable 88.This cable extends through a sleeve 82, fitted through the support 56,and is connected at its opposite end to an operating handle 84 adjacentthe driver.

This handle 84 is provided with ratchet teeth 36 and is slidablerelative to a ratchet-supporting bracket 88. A ratchet 90 depends fromthe bracket 88. This mechanism operates similarly to a hand brakewherein when the handle is pulled back, the ratchet 90 engages with theteeth 86 to keep the handle in its rearward position. In this position,the lever 68 is pivoted downward into the dotted-outline position shownin Fig. 2, wherein it acts to squeeze the container 54 between theupright portion 57 of the clamp structure and itself. This forcesthecolored liquid from thecontainer through the manifold 52 into therespective chambers of the headlights and into the overflow reservoir66. The headlights are now converted to fog lights. When it is desiredto use white light again, the handle 84 is rotated on its axis todisengage the teeth 86 from the ratchet 98. The spring 76 thenimmediately acts to pull back the lever 68 into its full-line position,as shown, and at the same time, acts to pull back the cable 80.

The cable 80 is provided with a stop 92 in the form oftan adjustablenut. This stop limits the amount of depression of the lever 68 into thesqueezing position by abutting against the upper end of the sleeve 82.By limiting thedepression of the lever 68, the possibility of pumping somuch liquid as to exceed the capacity of the overflow reservoir isprevented. The amount ofliquid pumped from the container is re ulated byadjusting the nut 92 relative to the lever 68.

In Fig. 4 is shown a mechanism wherein a separate source of liquid isprovided for each headlight. In this form of the invention, theheadlight 94 is connected at its top to an overflow reservoir 96 througha tube 98. At its bottom, it is connected, through a tube 100, to a resilient container 102 supported on a support 104 by a clamp 106 fixed toa post 108. A lever 110 is biased upwardly, around its pivot 112 by aspring 114 connected to a bracket 116. The lever 110 is also connected,at its center, to one end of a cable 118 extending through a sleeve inthe support and having an adjustable nut 120 to act as a limit stop. Thecable 118 is connected to a Y-coupling member 122. The Y-member 122 isalso connected by a cable 123 to a similar mechanism including a lever124, biased by spring 126 connected to bracket 128, and bearing againstcontainer 130 supported by clamp 132 on post 134. A tube 136 leads to achamher in headlight 138 and a reservoir 140 is connected to headlight138 by tube 142. The Y-member 122 is connected by a cable to anoperating handle mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Theoperation of this device is obvious without further explanation.

Although this invention has been described in con- 4 siderable detail,such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

A system for controllably and temporarily converting a pair of spacedapart headlights into colored fog lights comprising the combination ofan outwardly convexed lens for each of the pair of the headlights, acurved inwardly concaved transparent plastic sheet spaced forwardly fromeach said lens and forming a divergent compound meniscus lens, a beadedcircumferential edge on each said sheet extending rearwardly therefromand of a circumference substantially equal to the circumference of thecurved transparent lens, the curvature of each said sheet being slightlyflatter than the curvature of each said lens, means for firmly securingsaid beaded edge of said plastic sheet to the circumferential edge ofthe lens to provide a chamber between said lens and said plastic sheeton each headlight, having its width gradually increasing from itscentral portion toward its circumferential edge, a colored fluid source,a fluid source connection to each said chamber through each said plasticsheet at its bottom adjacent said beaded edge thereof, controllablemeans for feeding colored fluid from said fluid source through saidsource connection to each said cham' her and back to said fluid source,said fluid source comprising a flexible plastic container for saidcolored fluid, a manifold connecting said fluid container to each saidsource connection, a bracket on which said fluid container is mounted,said controllable means comprising a simple lever pivoted at one end tosaid bracket and having its other end rounded and arranged to contact aside of said flexible container, an upstanding bracket arm on saidbracket, spring means extending between said upstanding bracket arm andthe upper side of said pivoted lever yieldably supporting said pivotedlever with said rounded end adjacent a side of said fluid container, acable member extending through said bracket and connected at one end tothe bottom side of said pivoted lever and connected at its other end toa control handle available to the vehicle driver for pulling saidpivoted lever downwardly against said fluid container against the actionof said spring to temporarily force fluid from said container throughsaid manifold-simultaneously to each said chamber while said cable ismaintained in pulled position, and a reservoir connection to each saidchamber connected at one end to each said chamber through said sheet atthe point adjacent its beaded edge diametrically opposite saidfluid-source connection thereto of said lens,

and a manifold connecting both said reservoir connections to a commonoverflow reservoir.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,193,942 Starkweather'et al Aug. 8, 1916 1,569,973 Goettert Jan. 19,1926 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,360 France Jan. 24, .1922 608,867 France Apr.30, 1926 304,558 Great Britain Jan. 24, 1929 684,039 France Mar. 11,1930 1,089,385 France Sept. 29, 1954

